Houston Divorce: The Houston Family Law Blog

The Houston Family Law Blog

Divorce in Houston

It would be too hard to say “legal dissolution of marriage” so we call it divorce.

Although Texas is generally a “no-fault” divorce state, a divorce can be long and costly, or straightforward and simple, depending on how the parties deal with their situation and with each other. However, in most Texas divorces, issues of property, alimony, custody, and financial support for children will have to be worked out.

An online divorce, “cheap divorce,” or any variant of a “do it yourself divorce,” is usually not as effective as a meeting with a Houston Family Law attorney who will best understand divorce process and costs.


Recently in Divorce Category

You might think you have an iron-clad prenup, but do you really?

It may not be as hard as it looks to get a prenup tossed out in court. The simple fact of having a prenuptial agreement in place doesn't necessarily mean that it can't be found invalid.

At the end of the day, a prenuptial agreement is a contract. And if a contract isn't done right, it may not be enforceable.

Divorce attorneys are tucked away behind their desks for much of late winter and early spring.

Much of that is due to the fact that divorce rates peak in March, according to NPR. That makes March one of the busiest months for divorce attorneys.

Why?

So the holidays have passed and so has Valentine's Day. It's obvious to you and your significant other that it's time to call it quits.

Next stop: Splitsville.

Now is the time to start planning ahead and strategizing for what could be a long and painful ordeal -- divorce. Here are three things you should know before getting a divorce:

We've talked numerous times on this blog about financial issues in a divorce. Most recently, the fiscal cliff dealt with a large number of financial and tax issues. Many of these issues seemingly resolved themselves with the passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act on January 1, 2013.

The American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA) seemed to alleviate many tax woes. But the American Taxpayer Relief Act had some deep implications for those with impending divorces.

Once upon a time, moving in with your loved one prior to marriage signaled a divorce down the line.

But it looks like things may be a little different now. It doesn't look like pre-marital cohabition has necessarily sealed your fate for divorce, according to the New York Daily News.

The Daily News points to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in which engaged couples and co-habiting couples had as much success in their marriage as those who had not lived together prior to marriage. Some of these couples made it to the 15-year mark in marriage.

This week was Valentine’s Day. For many, it’s a day of love and appreciation. It’s a day when many women find themselves sporting their engagement rings for the first time.

For many more, it’s a day of heartbreak, deceit and divorce.

Valentine’s Day has been called the “coming out” day for cheaters. It’s the day when incriminating receipts are inadvertently left lying around. It’s a day when needs aren’t met.

A day when true feelings are exposed.

And in the midst of what is supposedly a celebration of love, people break up.

Marriages break up.

So in light of Valentine’s week and the aftermath of Valentine’s Day, we’ll discuss a few legal issues that may come to the forefront this week.

If you're getting a divorce, you can never be too careful about your finances. A large part of a divorce involves financial documents.

And a large part of financials involve tax planning. With the tax season upon us, many people are wondering what issues they need to consider regarding their taxes.

What are some tax issues in divorce you should be aware of? Here are three to keep in mind:

With about 50% of all marriages ending in divorce, it goes without saying that many couples look for ways to avoid divorce.

If divorce is on the horizon, what are some ways a couple can try to steer clear? And if divorce is inevitable, are there ways to make divorce less painful?

Divorce will never be painless. But there are ways to work through a divorce. Here are a few ways to make it potentially less painful:

With the end of the year approaching, we thought it would be a good time to take a look at the celebrity divorces of 2012.

This year, we saw some high-profile celebrity divorces that we won't soon forget.

Let's start with the most high profile celebrity divorce of the year: TomKat. Alas, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes called it quits earlier this year after almost six years of marriage and one kid, Suri. The couple filed for divorce over the summer, with Holmes getting primary custody of Suri.

Reality TV star Bethenny Frankel is rumored to be going through a divorce.

The news is still fresh, but as The Miami Herald reports, the star of "Bethenny Ever After" isn't enjoying her ever after. She has been photographed without a wedding ring and sans hubby Jason Hoppy, reports the Herald.

These rumors have been circulating for a while now, as a May 2012 article from RadarOnline talks about Frankel's "iron clad prenup".